<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"
	  "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">

<html>

<head>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="mow.css" />
</head>

<body>
<div class="andrew">
<p>
Aim: to develop a "virtual common mind" (VCM), an ALTER NOS, that a group of
researchers can engage with, give input to, receive communication from, and
benefit from its "thinking" and communication with other VCMs. The "sense
data" of the VCM comprises input from individuals of the group, other VCMs,
and knowledge contained in other databases (e.g. on the www): in this way
the VCM can "listen to" each individual who interacts with it, "read about"
and gather information about what other people have to say about a topic, as
well as "speak" about the ideas that it finds passing through its head.
There will be a number of VCMs, one for each cooperating group - these
groups may differ in their focus of research, discipline, language, aims or
point-of-view on the project as a whole (much as individuals have private
notions of what values and objectives are). These VCMs may then communicate
with each other (much as a group of people will meet and exchange ideas),
forming a collective of VCMs representing the interests of the ContraCancrum
project as a whole. The point is that while acknowledging the separateness
of groups (different training, expertise, disciplines, etc.) working under
the umbrella of the larger project, and that groups are unlikely to
communicate with other groups directly or profitably due to specialization
and barriers of background, language etc., the VCM with which they
communicate _does_ communicate with the VCMs from other groups, and so can
bring to light information that would previously have been hidden or unknown
to a group that it deems relevant to its subproject (because it knows of how
this would fit into the larger picture). Furthermore the VCM can use this
outside information itself to restructure the information available to the
group and suggest new ideas to it. In this way the VCM does some thinking
for the group, and is not just a searchable database.
</p>
<p>
To realize a VCM: use of mind-oriented web, using computer logic and
architecture to simulate behaviour of a thinking mind, and the interaction
of many minds (collaboration), and with which one can communicate (obtain a
response to questions, ask to "come up with ideas" on certain topics). The
aim is to have something beyond a repository of collective knowledge: the
VCM will "think about" the knowledge that has been communicated to it and
produce ideas about "the world as it see it" - furthermore it communicates
its thoughts to those interacting with it, not just indexically (pointing
out information that it believes would interest the group) but semantically
(producing ideas by its mind "cogitating on" the data it perceives and by
looking to its memory).
</p>
<p>
Main problem/challenge: Characterize operations of the mind using language
and logic that can be translated to a language of instructions implementable
on a computerized network. (One has to work with what is available for
implementation such as parallel processing, randomized algorithms,... - one
assumes not having a quantum computer, for example.)
This involves constructing a theory of mind and learning. There is, among
other sources, much to be gleaned from German nineteenth century idealism
and twentieth century phenomenology, as well as more conventionally
scientific a posteriori, empirical reasoning in present-day neuroscience.
Also, there are already many ideas propounded in current artificial
intelligence, such as that of neural networks.
In the philosophical tradition there is a much richer theory of mind than
currently available to empirical thought and experiment - one has to make
hypotheses about the operations of the mind based on personal experience of
one's own mind, and what one discovers about other people's minds by
communication, argument and reading what people have written in the past.
Notions of mind can often be discerned in language and metaphor - developing
metaphors is one process of discovery.
Such a theory of mind to be scientific, and useful, has to be subject to
change and adaptation, in the light of empirical findings as well as
revisions based on developments in understanding -  a fact that ought to be
reflected in the way the computer model is set up - akin to modular
architecture adaptable to different functions, the building blocks of the
model should be built out of fine enough pieces so that they can be reshaped
and rearranged to match the changed theories of how the mind works.
Of course one has to begin somewhere, and the foundation for building has to
be a good one. (One hopes to be able to restructure the model to adapt to
needs, rather than completely dismantle it and start again.) At the outset
some sufficiently rich and coherent theory of mind needs to be formulated in
order that at least some mind-like properties of the VCM can be generated.
The specific concerns of the ContraCancrum project - what its goals are and
what means might achieve them - will also inform how a VCM is "taught to
think".
</p>
</div>
</body>
</html>
